


I'll be Home for Christmas

by Team_CaptainAmerica



Series: What is, what if, and what could have been [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Children shenanigans, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Home for Christmas, I Love You, Or Is he?, Sad Phone Calls, Steggy Secret Santa, Steve Come Home, Steve gets punched, Tickling, and reprimanded, baby crying, love is everywhere, messes are made, missing dad, missing each other like crazy, peggy's holding down the fort like a boss, peggy's stuck at home with the kids, please come home for christmas, steggy family, steve's away on a mission right before christmas, the others try to help/are good aunties and uncles, will he make it?, you're late
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-17 03:54:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9303005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Team_CaptainAmerica/pseuds/Team_CaptainAmerica
Summary: Steve went on a mission before Christmas... Will he be able to make it home to his family in time???





	

**Author's Note:**

> lots of fluff and domestic steggy family feels enjoy!!!

Peggy’s P.O.V  
I groaned as the incessant beep of my alarm clock woke me from the little sleep I received last night. I rolled over peeking at the windowpane which was covered in frost and snow. I shivered under the covers as the door creaked, stifled giggles and whispers was music to my ears as tugs to the thick down comforter were made in an attempt to climb up onto the bed. I hid a small smile, the kids were definitely up. As if on cue, the oldest of the group, my seven year old James, lept up onto the bed, right on top of my legs. I bit back a groan as he smiled brightly and attacked me in a hug. 

“Morning Mama!” James greeted me   
“Good Morning honey did you have a good sleep?” I asked kissing his cheek and smoothing his brown hair back.   
“Yes Mama”   
“Wonderful, we can’t have a crabby James now can we?” I say   
“Nope” James shook his head   
“Mommy!” My next two children, Michael who was five, and Sarah who was three, scrambled onto the bed, grins on their faces.   
“Oh good morning my lovelies” I laughed as they pounced onto me, an endless supply of hugs and kisses at ready. I tucked each of the boys in my arms and Sarah on my lap, Michaels blonde curly locks tickled my arm as he wiggled into my side.   
Sarah sat up and her haunches, brushing away her brown mop of hair from her face as she peered down as me.   
“Mommy?”   
“Yes my darling?”   
“When will Daddy be home?” the boys look up at me waiting for my reply  
“Soon” I reply   
“For christmas?” Sarah’s big eyes were hopeful  
“Soon” I promise smoothing back her hair and kissing the crown of her forehead. I hear a wail from the nursery in the next room and I sigh, a mother’s work is never done.   
“C’mon, today is Thursday and we’ve got a lot of work to do before Saturday” I told them as I sat up, letting the boys slide out of my grip and Sarah climb out of my lap. I grab my robe and wrap it around myself as I headed to the nursery, the children trailing behind me. I entered the nursery, a big smile on my face as I greeted my youngest, Natasha, six months and already sporting a full head of blonde curls like her Father. Upon hearing my voice little Natasha broke out into a grin and reacher for me. I cooed at her, lifting her into my arms and headed for the changing table, talking all the while.   
Once she’d been changed, I headed to the kitchen and made the children myself breakfast. As I attempted to get Natasha to eat some of her oatmeal without getting it all over herself and everything within reach, the phone rang and I sighed, setting the bowl of oatmeal far enough out of Natasha’s reach so she couldn’t get to it and picked up the phone.   
“Hello?”   
“Hey Peggy” I heard Bucky’s voice and smiled in spite of myself.   
“Hello Bucky, what’s going on that you’re calling me this early in the morning? I know you love sleep more than anything”   
“Yeah well sleep can’t stop me from calling and checking in on my best friend’s wife and her adorable kids”   
“Steve told you to do this while he was gone didn’t he?” I asked pausing to tell Michael to wait for me to help him as he reached for the syrup to pour it himself.   
“You know how he worries and with Christmas coming…” Bucky trailed off “Do you know if he’ll be back by Saturday?” I sighed at the question.  
“I don’t know, he hasn’t contacted me and why they had to send him on a mission this close to Christmas I haven’t the slightest clue”   
“Well you’ve got me and the rest of the band of misfits here to help you out”   
“I know… It just won’t be the same if Steve isn’t here with us”   
“He’ll make it back, don’t you worry” I scoff at his assurance  
“You know Steve, he’s always late”  
‘“Yeah, yeah well I better go before Sam gets into my stash of special coffee and I have to hurt someone. We’ll be over later okay?”   
“Alright, see you later Bucky”   
“Bye Peg” I hang up and turn back to the children to find James has managed to spill all of Natasha’s oatmeal onto her and himself the spoon in his hand and a sheepish grin on his face. Michael had ignored my warnings and poured half the jug of syrup on his plate and himself. Sarah sat under the table sucking on her thumb as she played with her food.   
“Oh bloody-” I groan and grab a washcloth, off to clean another mess.   
After cleaning the children and the kitchen up I’d sat the three older in the playroom to play and Natalie in the exersaucer and sat down to finally have a moment to myself to enjoy my morning tea and get some work done. As I wrote out Christmas cards that still hadn’t gotten done, I kept an ear out for the kids as Natalie babbled happily to herself, content to be left to alone. It was almost noon when a loud knock and repetitive ringing of the doorbell resounded throughout the house and I rolled my eyes as I stood, lifting Natasha and setting her on my hip before heading to the door as the thundering footsteps of the children raced to the door. I found the older 3 fighting over who got to open the door and I reached over their heads and opened it for them. Immediately shouts and greetings reached my ears as the kids tackled their aunts and uncles who were entering the house.   
“Bucky!” James had his arms wrapped around Bucky’s neck, hugging his favorite uncle and namesake.  
“Hey kiddo, you holding down the fort here while you’re dad’s gone?” Bucky asked   
“Yep! No bad guys are getting past me” James put on his serious face.   
“Of course not, not with you round” Bucky tickled his sides and James giggled, shrieking in laughter. Bucky caught my eye and winked. He kissed my cheek,   
“Hey Peg, you’re looking stunning as ever”   
“Hello Bucky” I said rolling my eyes at him. Natasha and Sam followed, Sam loaded down with gifts.   
“Kids, let Sam through the door” I scold lightly as Natasha hugs me and takes Natalie from my arms, blowing raspberries on her cheek as Natasha laughs at her namesakes ministrations. Wanda, Vision, Clint, Thor and Bruce all clamber into our house, loaded down with presents and ready to entertain the children.   
“Where’s Tony?” I ask  
“Parking the car, he doesn’t trust the rest of us to drive him around” Clint replied as he opened the cookie jar and stuffing several into his mouth and grabbing a couple before I could slap his hand away from it. Slinging an arm over Wanda’s shoulder protectively he grinned cheekily at me, he cheeks full of cookie making him look like a chipmunk.   
“You’re such a child” Natasha rolls her eyes at him. Clint shrugs as a loud bang is heard from the living room.  
“Speaking of children…” I said heading into the living room to check the damage.   
Later…   
I sat on the couch between Bucky and Natasha, the children playing with Thor, Sam and Clint as Wanda sat in the large recliner Natasha in her arms and Vision by her side. Tony sat on the loveseat, tinkering with of the children’s broken toys as Bruce flipped through one of James’s science books.   
“Has Steve made contact with you yet?” Natasha asked turning to me.   
“No, but he bloody well do it soon or he won’t live to see next Christmas” I replied Bucky snickered at my comment.  
“I’m sure he will, he knows he’ll be getting more than an earful from you Peggy if he doesn’t” Bucky told me. I was about to reply when the phone rang and I stood, rushing into the kitchen to answer it.   
“Hello?”  
“Hey Peg” Steve’s weary voice answered  
“Steve” I breathed   
“Peggy I-”  
“It’s about time you called, the children are asking when you’ll be back and I beginning to wonder if you’d taken another dive into the Ocean.”  
“Peg-”  
“Don’t you Peg me Steven Grant Rogers, you get your sorry butt home-”  
“That’s just it Peggy, I won’t be home” I froze   
“What?”   
“I won’t be home Peggy, it’s going to take longer to get home, they screwed up my transport to get home and it looks like I’m stuck here until after Christmas. I’m sorry Peggy”  
“Wha- But Steve, are you sure? Isn’t there anything you could do? Surely-”   
“No, there’s no possible way I’ll be able to make it home in time” Steve’s voice sounded heartbroken and I felt horrible that he’d be spending Christmas alone without anyone. At least we had everyone here.   
“Okay darling. I love you”   
“I love you too Peggy…” He paused “I miss you”  
“I miss you too and so the children”   
“Tell them I love them and to not be sad okay?”   
“Okay” I bit back tears  
“I’ll see you soon Peggy, okay? I promise”   
“Alright Steve. Goodbye darling”  
“Goodbye Peggy” He whispered before the line clicked and went dead. I sighed heavily, slumping into the kitchen chair as I wiped away stray tears trying to stay calm. This was Natasha’s first christmas and he’d be missing it. I didn’t know how I was going to tell the kids, they’d be devastated. I heard footsteps and looked up to find Bucky leaning in the doorway.   
“He’s not going to be back in time, is he?” Bucky asked I shook my head and Bucky sighed and walked forward, encasing me in hug and I returned it, grateful for the support.   
“Punks going to be sorry when he gets back” Bucky muttered and I laughed. Standing, I took a deep breath and headed back to the living room to face the children, preparing myself to face the next few days, especially Christmas, without Steve.   
Saturday evening (Christmas Eve)…  
I sighed heavily, the last two days or so had been long and stressful as the children had been upset over Steve not being able to return and trying to keep their minds off it, taking them sledding and finishing up small last minute christmas gifts and cooking. I had a lot of help from the Avengers but there was still something empty and missing and everyone knew it was Steve’s absence. The kids had been mopey and irritable and I’d been feeling rather put out and short tempered with them. Peeking into the Sarah’s room I saw she was fast asleep and I smiled softly, shutting the door and continuing on, peeking into the boy’s room to find Michael out like a light but James still awake. He sat up when I entered.  
“Mama?”   
“Yes darling?” I sit down next to him as he fell back on his bed.  
“Why can’t Daddy be here? Doesn’t he want to be?”  
“Oh baby, yes, your father very much wished to be here with us for Christmas but he just wasn’t able to.”  
“Oh…” James looked rather forlorn  
“But hey, he’ll be back before you know it and then you can tell him all about it, alright?”   
“Okay… it won’t be the same though” James still looked saddened   
“I know darling, I miss your father very much too and I wish he could be here. Now, get some rest okay? Tomorrow’s a big day” I said  
“Okay” James agreed as I pulled up the sheets over his body, tucking him in and kissed his forehead.   
“Good night darling, I love you”  
“Goodnight Mama, I love you too” James whispered yawning. I smiled running my hand one more time through his hair before leaving. I head to bed, knowing the children will be up bright and early to open their gifts. I laid in bed staring at the ceiling, wishing Steve was here with me, holding me close on Christmas Eve. I sent him my love and hoped he was somewhere safe and warm tonight before drifting off to sleep.   
Several hours later...   
I sat in the living room, Natasha fussing in my arms as I tried to rock her back to sleep after her feeding. Standing I bounced her in my arms as I whispered softly to her, moving around the living room, only lit by the christmas tree lights. As she finally began to fall back asleep, I hear a creak in the floorboards and turn quickly, immediately on guard. I stopped and stared as Steve stood in the doorway, hair a mess and dirtied face and uniform.   
“You’re late” I said   
“I know Peg and-”  
“But you made it so I’m not too mad at you. Now get over here and kiss your wife” he smiled and was at my side in a moment, kissing me firmly and passionately, making up for the time he’d been gone, but still mindful of sleeping Natasha in my arms.   
“How’d you make it back in time”  
“A kind man on his way home gave me a lift and I spent the last day in a plane with chickens and other farm animals, but I’m here now, to stay” I smiled  
“I love you so much”  
“I love you too Peggy”   
That Christmas turned out to be one of the best Christmases I’d had, and the only thing I wanted made it back to be with me and the children just in time (though he did get socked pretty good by Bucky and scolded by Natasha).


End file.
